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EADA Benjamin Stone's office (having somehow jumped back to the early 90s)

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709

A curious conundrum about Quirrel

I am very confused. I just reread and rewatched the first Harry Potter, and Quirrel intrigues me.

When we first meet him, he actually shakes Harry's hand (pg 70 of American version), but later it says that Quirrel could not bare to touch Harry's skin because of the protection set by his mother. So, how could he shake Harry's hand?

Another question- we know from all the books that when a new teacher is taken on, they announce it at the feast. But Quirrel was never announced, and Percy knew Quirrel (at least, I gather that since he seemed impressed that Harry also knew him). Plus, on page 71, Hagrid says Quirrel is scared of his subject and his students- but how would he know? The DADA job is supposed to be cursed, and Dumbleodre even said a teacher has never lasted more than a year since he refused the post to Lord Voldemort. So, was Quirrel a teacher before Harry came as part of DADA? Is it possible that a teacher can teach more than a year in that subject, but not have them consecutive? (Hagrid did say that Quirrel took a year off to get some experience).

I also wonder if Dumbledore knew he was practically giving Voldemort the DADA job...

Quirrell originally taught Muggle Studies and then took a year off to learn about the Dark Arts and meets Voldemort. He gets taken over by Voldie after the break-in at Gringotts. Also got some of this information from the Lexicon.

On hiatus for a little while

This slice of pure awesomeness was made by majestic_ginny. And the avvie (another slice of awesomeness) was made by Broken_Promise.

When we first meet him, he actually shakes Harry's hand (pg 70 of American version), but later it says that Quirrel could not bare to touch Harry's skin because of the protection set by his mother. So, how could he shake Harry's hand?

He wasn't trying to harm Harry when he shook his hand in the Leaky Cauldron. When he was trying to take the Stone, however, he was trying to kill him.

I also wonder if Dumbledore knew he was practically giving Voldemort the DADA job...

That would be quite ironic, but I don't think he knew. Who would suspect p-poor, s-studdering Q-Quirell?

He wasn't trying to harm Harry when he shook his hand in the Leaky Cauldron. When he was trying to take the Stone, however, he was trying to kill him.

Also, since Voldemort wasn't possessing him at that point, I doubt it would've had the same effect. I always assumed that the only reason Quirrell couldn't touch Harry was because Voldemort was sharing his body.

Also, since Voldemort wasn't possessing him at that point, I doubt it would've had the same effect.

This is very true, but Voldemort was posessing Quirrel even then. (Sorry, I have to be an annoying know-it-all real quick )

"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrel quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world.

This implies that Quirrel's body was taken over by Voldemort while he was abroad. Also:

...Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrel shuddered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased......

......Harry was remembering his trip to Diagon Alley--how could he have been so stupid? He'd seen Quirrel there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.

The explanation I can give is that maybe the physical aspect of the possession hadn't happened yet. The day that Harry shook hands with Quirrell was the day that the break in happened. From SS, the chapter "The Man With Two Faces":

"When I failed to steal the stone at Gringotts, he was most displeases. He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..."

I believe that the punishment and keeping the closer watch is when the physical mutation/possession took place. I'm not exactly sure how, there is information on Pottermore about how the possession worked, but I am still unsure how the physical mutation happened. But anyways, because the physical mutation took place after the handshake, I think that is why nothing happened.